X-ray-control device.



W. MEYER.

xRAY coNHoL DEVICE. APPLICAION FILED MAR. l5. 1915.

1,161,238. Patented N0v.23,1915.

T Il l Q `'UNITED sTATEs PATENT onirica.

WILLIAM MEYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

X-RAY-UONTROL DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

Application led March 15, 1915. Serial No. 14,318.

To all whom t may Concern.'

Be lit known that I, WILLIAM MEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented av certain new and useful Improvement in YX-Ray-Control Devices, of which the following is a full, clear,

' intensity of the X-ray discharge and also as to the time of exposure of a patient to the My present invention may be considered as an improvement upon that set forth in my copending application, Serial No. 8,214, filed February 15th, 1915. A

The object of my invention is to produce novel, efficient and simplied means of controlling X-ray circuits, whereby the operator will at all times have a one hand control ofthe X-ray and associated apparatus.

In carrying out an X-ray operation, the two most important factors for the. operator to determine are, the intensity of the X-ray discharge and the time of exposure ofthe patient to the same.v Before he exposes the patient thereto, the operator must determine, by trial, the proper amount of resistance to cut into the primary circuit to preduce the desired intensity of discharge and during these trialsit is necessary for him to hold closed a controlling circuit, which, in turn, closes the primary circuit. Hence when the control circuit closer and the resistance regulator are placed some distance apart on the switchboard, as is the case with the devices of the'prior' art, the operator is greatly inconvenienced by the necessity of holding the control circuit closed with one hand and adjusting the rheostat With the other.

termining the proper amount of resistance to use for. the actual operation, and in suchl Often it is necessary for the operator to spend a long time in thus decontrol devices in one instrument, so -that .the operator is enabled to make his preliminary trials and set the devices in operation with the'greatest simplicity and convenience. The accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, is a diagrammatic representation of an embodiment of my invention.

The apparatus represented in the figure .consists essentially of a switch 1 in the primary circuit, an electro-magnet 2 controlling the switch 1, a time-controlled element 3, and a connection-between the electro-magnet 2 and the time-controlled element, and a controlling circuit #l having an automatic switch 5,- a regulating rheostat 6 in the primary circuit, which rheostat has a pushbutton 7 inthe handle thereof, to open and close the control circuit 4. The time-controlled element 3v forms no part of the present invention and will therefore be described briefly as follows: The'dash-pot 8 has a plunger 9 slidably mounted therein, said plunger bearing a stem 10 which is provided with suitable graduations, as indicated in the drawing. A handle 11 is provided for raising this plunger to any desired position in order to cause the graduations to register with the indicating mecha' nism, which comprises a sliding lbar 12 which engages the notches in the stem 10. The bar 12 is held against `the'stem 10 by the tension of the spring 13, the bar being slidably mounted in the posts 14-15. The brake 12 is provided with a slot 16, in Which plays the short end 17 of a lever arm 18,

which is pivoted at 19 and connected at 2O I' with a plunger 2l of the solenoid 2. The stem 10 -of the time-controlled device is provided with a projection 23, which consists of a collar surrounding a plunger.

This collar engages a spring 24, which forms part of the automatic switch 5.

. The switch l of the primary circuit has a cup25 having mercury in the bottom there-l of, and a plunger 2G, to which ,is Jconnected the other side of the primary circuit. The plunger 26 is insulated .from but mounted upon the core 21 of the electro-magnet 2,

and is'adapted to be moved into engagement 'with the mercury in the bottom of the cup 25 when the electro-magnet 2 is energized.

In series withthe primary .circuit is placed the regulating rheostat 6, having contact S segments 27, between which the resistances 28 are connected. The rheostat 6 is provided with a hollow handle 29, in which 1 slidesthe push butto-n 7 Amounted upon a stem 30, which stem abuts against a spring contact 31, which is secured to but insulated..

from the rheostat contact arm. Insulated from the spring .contact 31 is a similar wardly in the direction of the contact 31,l

spring contact 32, having its end bent ,up-

` These two springs are normally held out of cont'ct by means of th'e insulation 33, but

f pressure upon the button 7 makes a Contact between them. An extension cord 36 bear-r ing auxiliary contacts 37-37 is placed in the circuit so that the operator mayv close ythe circuit when at some distance from the switchboard. These two spring contacts form the first elements in the controlling circuit 4, which, when the parts are in the positions shown in the drawing, is connected from the contact 31 through the electromagnet 2, through the battery 34-and switch 35, to the automatic switch .5 and thence to the other Contact spring 32. An ammeter i 39 having a shunt 40 is also placed in the primary circuit. The switch 35 provides a means for cutting out the automatic switch 5 when it 1s desired to close the-primary circuit of the X-ray apparatus for any considerable length of time. When the switch 35 is thrown upon its alternate contact the automatic switch 5 will be included in the circuit and the automatic timing element 3 will then become operative to open the circuit of the primary at the end of any pre j timing deviceis not in operation) thereby determined interval of time.

Before the exposure is made the operator must decide the necessaryl intensity of the X-rays and also the time of exposure, these being the two most important details of the i operation. 'Io set the apparatus for any desired time the operator merely has to lift the plunger and locate the proper graduation opposite the brake arm. To make a setting for X-ray intensity, however, there is no such simple method and the operator finds it necessary to close the control circuit, (the double throw switch 35 having been Yplaced on the T "element so that the button is also provided so` Athat the operator may leave the switchboard and still have control of the circuits. The proper amount of resistance having been determined by the out and try method, as indicated by the 'ammeter readings, the operator is ready to subject the patient to the X-ray.

If it is desired to use the automatic timing control, the switch 35 is placed upon vthe alternate contact'marked A. The stem '10 is then raised by means of the handle 11 luntil the desired graduation comes opposite the end of the brake 12. This stem may be graduated in any preferred manner,but I have here shown it as being 'graduated in 0.2 of a second. The stem 10 is held in raised position by the brake 12 until the energization of the electro-magnet 2 occursf'The operator may make any adjustment desired with the rheostat handle 6 before the starting of the timing device, but when he depresses the A thus disengage it from the stationary contact 37. The controlling circuit 4 is thereby broken and the plunger 21 of the electromagnet 2 is raised, breaking the contact 'of the primary at the mercury cup 25. If

it is desired to close the X-ray circuitfor a'period longer than that covered bythe dropping of the timing plunger, the switch 35 may be moved to the position shown in the drawings, in which the automaticswitch 5 will be cut out from the controlling circuit and the push-button 7 will hold the controlling circuit, and thereby the main circuit, closed as long as it is depressed.

Itis to be noted that when the automatic switch 5 is in circuit the push-button 7 is depressed until the circuit has been broken at the switch 'points 24 and 37 by means of the time element. l

I have found tli'at the placing of the pushbutton 7 and the resistance regulator 6 in one compact mechanism not only provides a simpler design, but a much more eilicient means. of regulation, for the operator has under the control of one hand, all the devices which co-act to produce the proper X-ray operation.

It is obvious that the'same principle of operation may be involved, in controlling a normally-closed circuit as well as the open circuit which I have described and Aillustrated.

It is to be noted that theabove-described embodiment of my invention i's in the form which I prefer to construct it', but -I do not desu'e to be bound to such specific details for it is obvious that changes and-modificati'onsofgtlie same will at once suggest themselvesv to those skilled in the art, and itis myl desire that these changes" or modifica.-

tions be'y considered as coming 'within the spirit and'scope ci 'the appended claims.

-What- I claim as new and desire to seworkinnr circuit and for varying the resist# msm comprising two manually moving parts having a common movement, one part movable in one path' for varying said resistance' andthe other part movable in a'path substantially at right angles thereto-to close said control circuit.

" 2. In X-.ray control devices, a Working circuit-'includinga plunger, amercury cup and 1a varlableA resistance, Van electro-magnet controlling saidV plunger, a control circuit for said electro-magnet, a'switchffolr clos-- ing'. said control circuit, and common means for operating'l said sWitchand varying said resistance. I

3. In a control device, 'a normally-open working circuit. variable resistances in said s circuit, a control 'circuit for Aclosing said ance 'oi said working pircuit, said mechasv working circuit, a normally-open switch in said control circuit, movable means for varying said resistance in said Working circuit. and means carried by said movable means for closingsaid switch in said control circuit.

a rheostat in saidrworking circuit having a .movable resistance-varying contact, avhanf .die for said movable contact, a control cir c uit for said Working circuit, a pair of nor- 'mally-open'y contacts for said control circuit, said contacts jbeing carried/by said movable contact on saidrheostat, and manual means .for closing said normally open `contacts 'from said rheostat cntacthandle.

l5. In an X-ray control device, a primary circ-uit and a control circuit -therefor, said 4. In an X-ray device, a Working circuit,

f primary circuit having a rheostat therein for regulating the intensity of the -X-ray discharge, a .movable-contact armv for said rheostat, a handle for said contact arm, a

pair of'noimally-open contacts for said control circuit carried by sa-id'movable arm, and a push-button in said rheostat handle for closing said lnormally-open contacts.

' In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this llth day of March A. D. 1.915.

WILLIAM MEYER.. Witnesses: i

'LESLIE W. FMCKE, GILBERT C. SAMUELSEN.

copies o'f patent, mx be` obtained for -ve 'cents"each, by addressing the Commissione;` of 'Patents Washington, D. C. 

